Fāngzhōu jí 方洲集
Square-Islet Collection by 張寧 (撰)
About the work
Fāngzhōu jí 方洲集 in 26 juǎn, with the appendix Dúshǐ lù 讀史錄 in 6 juǎn — the writings of Zhāng Níng 張寧 (mid-15th cent., catalog meta gives composition date 1454), zì Jìngzhī 靖之, hào Fāngzhōu 方洲, native of Hǎiyán 海鹽 (Jiāxīng, Zhèjiāng); has the Fāngzhōu záyán 方洲雜言 separately catalogued. Zhāng was a jǐshìzhōng 給事中 (supervising secretary) of the Liùkē under Tiānshùn / Chénghuà; jiǎnè zìchí (firm-and-direct, self-supporting); the Six-kē memorials mostly came from his hand; whenever a great policy debate arose, ministers asked what does Zhāng jǐshì say? The Cáo Jíxiáng 曹吉祥 / Shí Hēng 石亨 Duómén faction hated him; in a frontier-incident he was sent as envoy on a xuānfǔ (proclamation-and-pacification) mission, succeeded with bare words and returned. After offending Lǐ Xián 李賢 (KR4e0104) by frank memorial, banished to a magistracy with Yuè Zhèng 岳正 (KR4e0109) — yǔ Yuè Zhèng tóng diào wài (with Yuè Zhèng simultaneously banished outside). Famous for the Cháoxiǎn (Korean) embassy: at the Tàipíngguǎn banquet with the Korean guǎnbàn Pak Wǒnhyǒng 朴元亨, composed in moments a 7-character chánglǜ in 60 rhymes. The Sìkù literary judgement: zòushū (memorials) are wěiyán zhènglùn tōngdá guótǐ (great-words, correct-discussion, penetrating in state-form); other prose lěiluò yǒu qì (upright-and-vigorous); poetry pō zá fúshēng (rather mixed with floating-tones), but without wòchuò wěiruò (deformed-and-feeble) bearing.
Tiyao
Fāngzhōu jí in 26 juǎn, with Dúshǐ lù in 6 juǎn appended — by Zhāng Níng of the Míng. Níng has the Fāngzhōu záyán, already recorded. Níng held office as jǐshìzhōng, jiǎnè zìchí; the Liùkē memorials mostly came from his hand. Whenever there was a great deliberation, [people] would invariably ask, what does Zhāng jǐshì say? Shí Hēng and Cáo Jíxiáng hated him; meeting a frontier-incident, [he was] sent as envoy on xuānfǔ (proclamation-and-pacification) — succeeded by mere proclamation and returned. His talent and capacity were praised by his time. Later by jiànyán (frank-words) offending Lǐ Xián, [he was] simultaneously with Yuè Zhèng banished outside. His qìjié (vigour-and-integrity) was particularly weighted by the world. Although a single huī chūshǒu (banner-wave going out as governor), he stumbled and never recovered; yet eminent sùwàng (established-esteem) was not lower than the lángmiào jùgōng (corridor-and-temple great ministers). Looking now at the memorial pieces — wěiyán zhènglùn, penetrating guótǐ (state-form) — does not shame his name. Other prose too is lěiluò yǒu qì (upright-and-vigorous). Poetry, however, is rather mixed with fúshēng (floating tones) — yet still without the wòchuò wěiruò bearing. Looking at his Cháoxiǎn embassy, daily with the guǎnbàn Pak Wǒnhyǒng ascending the Tàipíngguǎn tower, in moments composing a 7-character long lǜ in 60 rhymes — clearly because his cáidiào zònghéng (talent-tone vertical-and-horizontal) does not endure deep thought. Compiled and presented respectfully in the twelfth month of Qiánlóng 46 (1781). Chief Compilers: Jì Yún, Lù Xīxióng, Sūn Shìyì. General Editor: Lù Fèichí.
Abstract
Zhāng Níng is the third figure in this division (with KR4e0107 Hán Yōng and KR4e0109 Yuè Zhèng) banished by the Tiān-shùn-era cabinet politics of Lǐ Xián (KR4e0104). The cluster of three banished frank-speech officials, all separately catalogued, gives the documentary record from the victim’s side. The pairing with Yuè Zhèng — yǔ Yuè Zhèng tóng diào wài — is one of the cleanest documentary identifications.
The Cháoxiǎn embassy (the Pak Wǒnhyǒng 60-rhyme exchange at the Tàipíngguǎn) is one of the more striking documentary witnesses to mid-Míng Sino-Korean cízhāng (literary-exchange) diplomatic practice. Zhāng’s embassy poems are particularly important together with KR4e0106 Ní Qiān’s lost Liáohǎi biān as documentation of the mid-15th-century Beijing-Hànyang literary diplomatic relationship.
The catalog meta gives no birth-or-death dates and lists only the year of composition (‘date: 1454’); CBDB has multiple homonymous Zhāng Níng entries; the early-Míng Fāngzhōu Zhāng Níng (cbdbId 34517) has no birth/death years; Wikipedia and standard sources give 1426–1496.
Translations and research
- L. Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, eds., Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368–1644. New York: Columbia UP, 1976. Notice of Zhāng Níng.
- Donald Clark, “Sino-Korean Tributary Relations under the Ming,” in The Cambridge History of China vol. 8. Cambridge UP, 1998.
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §28.4 (Míng bié-jí).
- Míng shǐ j. 180 — Zhāng Níng biography.
Other points of interest
The Dúshǐ lù 讀史錄 in 6 juǎn — historiographical reading-notes appended to the biéjí — is a notable case of cross-classification: a historiographical sub-collection within the jíbù recension.